CASES AT COURT

Southland Times, Issue 20205, 16 June 1927, Page 9

CASES AT COURT

VARIED CHARGE SHEET. | YESTERDAY'S SITTING. A fairly lengthy list of cases came before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., at the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. Several adjournments were granted, however, and the sitting had concluded by mid-day. UNLICENSED MILK VAN. Mark Peace was charged with driving a food vehicle without such vehicle being licensed as a food vehicle. Mr Hall-Jones appeared for defendant and pleaded ignorance of the regulations, but stated that Peace was probably at that moment effecting registration at the proper quarter. At least that was his intention. Inspector Stopford stated that the vehicle was only an ordinary car, entirely unsuitable for milk delivery and he certainly would not pass it for registration. Mr Hall-Jones stated that it would be ' news to defendant that he would not be allowed to register. However, he could possibly effect alterations which would satisfy the authorities. The inspector contended that the vehicle was altogether unsuitable for a milk van and it was their desire to take some measures to raise the standard of such vehicles. The Magistrate: Yes, of course. Defendant was fined £1 with costs. OFFENDING MOTORISTS. Adam Jack was charged with driving past a stationary tramcar in a motor car. He pleaded that he had followed the Traffic Inspector past the car. If it was all right for the inspector to pass he thought he would be at liberty to do so too. Inspector Stopford explained that the offence was committed in Tay street during Carnival Week. He himself had pulled up beside the tramcar when defendant passed. Defendant was fined £l, costs 10/-. Jessie Hamilton, charged with leaving her motor car in Crinan street after dark without lights, was fined 10/-, costs 15/-. MILITARY DEFAULTERS. Eric McFadgen was charged with failing to render personal service in accordance with the provisions of the Defence Act. He was convicted and fined £2, costs 12/-. William Arthur Stewart was similarly charged. He did not appear and was fined £4, costs 12/-. CONVICTED OF THEFT. William Lines appeared on a charge of stealing 31 rabbit skins of a value of £2 5/-, the property of William Duncan. Mr V. Raines appeared for Lines and entered a plea of not guilty. In outlining the facts of the case Detective Sergeant Carroll stated that Duncan resided in Otikerama Road and accused lived about half a mile away. On the morning of May 28 Duncan missed 31 skins from his property and set out on a search of the local skin stores. He located the missing skins in Irvine’s store in Wood street. The skins were all from poisoned • rabbits, while a further peculiarity was that ; several had been tied to the wires with cobbler’s hemp. Irvine explained that a man calling himself Smith had sold the skins that morning and he described the seller’s appearance to Duncan, who recognised the description of his neighbour Lines. When approached on the matter Lines alleged that he had trapped them himself, but later when interviewed by the police, he changed his ground and stated that the skins were not the ones he sold. D’Arcy Thomas Irvine, in evidence, said that accused, styling himself H. Smith, called in at his store on the morning in question and sold 30 skins. Those produced in Court were some of the skins witness had purchased from Lines (or Smith as he called himself). These were undoubtedly “poisoned” skins. Detective Carroll stated that unfortunately ! Irvine’s store had been broken into while the allegedly stolen skins were there and of 2000 skins taken, 11 were of the bundle j sold by accused. To Mr Raines, witness stated that trap- • ped and poisoned skins could be different!- i ated between twelve months after they had i been caught. William Duncan gave evidence along the ' lines of the detective’s outline. He recognised his skins in Irvine’s store, he said, ■ because of the fact that they were poisoned, while there were two black ones among them and some had been attached to the I wires with cobbler’s hemp. Detective Le Sueur gave evidence that 1 he took a statement from defendant in ’ which he contended that he had trapped the rabbits himself. The reason why he had given the name of Smith when selling the I skins was that he did not wish his creditors to know he was making “a bob or two.” Mr Raines stated that he did not propose to put accused in the box, but suggested that the large element of doubt which existed be turned to Lines's benefit. The Magistrate held that a clear case of theft had been made out and convicted the defendant. The case, however, would be adjourned until Friday morning, pending a report from the Probation Officer. FEMALE MOTORIST CHARGED. Charges of negligent driving, and of driving a motor car at a speed dangerous to the public on the Otahuti-Invercargill road were preferred against Martha Margaret Lea (who was represented by Mr S. M. Macalister). A plea of not guilty was entered in respect of both charges. Sergeant Fox stated that the prosecutions arose as a result of an accident which occurred on the Otahuti-Invercargill road' at about 3 p.m. on May 12. Mr W. Dawson, a contractor of Waikiwi, accompanied by his wife and baby, was proceeding along the road in a northerly direction in a gig when a motor car coming from the direction of the Otahuti dairy factory turned the corner at the top of the hill and crashed into the gig. The car was travelling at the rate of about 25 miles per hour and rounded the corner on the wrong side of the road. The collision was a heavy one and Mr and Mrs Dawson and the baby were thrown out of the gig. Mrs Lea brought them into Invercargill for medical treatment, where it was found that Mr Dawson had sustained a broken shoulder blade, and Mrs Dawson was suffering from a broken wrist. Evidence was given by both the injured parties along the lines of the Sergeant’s statement and Mr Macalister closely crossexamined them in respect of the rate of travel of the car, the relative positions of car and gig at the time of colliding and the force of the impact. With two more witnesses for the prosecution to be called, the case was adjourned until June 29. SEAMAN ARRAIGNED. Anthony McHale, a seaman off the ss. Cumberland, was arraigned on a charge of causing actual bodily harm to one William Power, by stabbing him with a knife. Sergeant Fox stated that the victim of the offence was still undergoing treatment and asked for an adjournment to June 22 at Bluff. This was granted.